Satellite Navigation Augmentation System Redundant Computing Centers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current space-based augmentation systems for satellite navigation face challenges in maintaining short-term availability and continuity due to failures in the main computing center, leading to interruptions in navigation message transmissions and reduced performance during switching between independently generated message sequences.

Innovation Solution

A spatial augmentation system with redundant computing centers synchronized on a master center, using a communication network to select the best navigation message streams based on quality of service and hysteresis mechanisms to minimize switching, and employing a local network for data distribution to ensure consistent message sequences and fast synchronization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple computing centers operate independently to provide redundancy, then system reliability is improved, but message sequence consistency deteriorates during switching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem availabilityVSAvoidmessage sequence consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides computing centers into hierarchical groups (geographical centers with local computing centers) to enable independent operation within segments while maintaining overall consistency through synchronized segments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A master computing center acts as an intermediary that receives data from receiving stations and distributes synchronized navigation messages to slave computing centers, ensuring message sequence consistency across the network

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If a single master computing center is used, then message sequence consistency is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to single point of failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage sequence consistencyVSAvoidsystem availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments computing centers into master and slave roles within geographical centers, allowing distributed redundancy while maintaining synchronized message sequences through the master center coordination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational state parameters of computing centers dynamically, allowing slave centers to take over master functions when needed, thus converting from a single-point architecture to a flexible redundant architecture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If computing centers are geographically distributed, then system robustness is improved, but synchronization difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem robustnessVSAvoidsynchronization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The master computing center serves as a synchronization intermediary that receives data from receiving stations and distributes synchronized navigation messages to slave computing centers across geographical locations, simplifying the synchronization process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The master computing center performs preliminary synchronization of navigation messages before distribution to slave centers, ensuring that all centers are prepared with consistent data before transmission to user receivers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2579062B1Spatial augmentation system adapted to improve the accuracy and reliability of data delivered by a satellite navigation system, and associated method
Publication Date: 2018.12.26 THALES SA
  • EP2579062B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2579062B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2579062B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The system has a transmission ground station (7) for transmitting data to a geostationary satellite (9), and a ranging and integrity monitoring station (3) for receiving signals transmitted by a global navigation satellite system (2). Two data centers (5-1a, 5-1b) transmit flow of navigation messages and information representative of quality of service to the ground station, where the transmission ground station selects the flow of navigation messages based on information representative of the quality of service, so as to merge the data centers to a master calculation center. An independent claim is also included for a method for improving the accuracy and reliability of data delivered by a satellite navigation system.